Rather Me Than You
by Everafterjunkie
Summary: Sometimes when you love someone, you'd rather put youself in danger just to protect them, unfortunately you can't always do that. Set during D/H. One-shot. Ron/Hermione


**Rather Me Than You**

**A/N Ron had a pretty hard time of it when Bellatrix was torturing Hermione. It sounded like Ron was more in pain then her. This is the Math and Aftermath of the Torturing events. Angsty with a bit of fluff at the end because I'm nice. The first bits basically a re-cap for what happened in the Deathly Hallows (lots of spoilers if you haven't read, mind you why would you be reading fanfiction if you hadn't already read the books? lol) I appreciate reviews ;D Anyways hope you all had a nice Christmas!**

**Disclaimer: Me? Own Anything? I wish. All belongs to Mrs Joanne Rowling :) I may have stole a bit of her story in this, it's just a re-cappy told in Ron's mental state :D I take over after they Disapparate. **

"HERMIONE!" Ron cried again. That scream was the worse so far, as soon as his bindings came free he shot up, searching for a trap door. Everything else in the room ceased to exist. All he could hear was the blood rushing in his ears, Hermione screaming terribly. It must have been awful to make Hermione scream, she was one of the strongest people he'd ever met.

'Think Ron, think! He told himself fervently. Disapparating! What about Disapparating? He could get to Hermione and save her, throw himself in front of her so no more harm could come to her.

No wand! URG! 'You have to help her!'.

Another scream.

"There's no way out, Ron." He heard Luna tell him softly. "The cellar is completely escape-proof. I tried...."

Her voice just blended into the background. His hands, shaking, still searching for a trap door. Hermione screamed again. And he was vaguely aware of Harry joining him in the search.

Harry shouting something, Hermione still screaming, Ron half-sobbing. He admitted defeat, there was no way out. He was so frustrated he could do nothing to help her he pounded hopelessly on the walls with his fists. 'Hermione. Hermione.' She was all he could think about, her sweet pure face being harmed. He pounded harder in utter desperation.

"HERMIONE! HERMIONE!" Ron bellowed.

He could hear Bellatrix, her voice disgusting him to the core. She wasn't even worthy to say Hermione's name.

"We only met him tonight!" He heard Hermione sobbing. "We're never been inside your vault ... it isn't the real sword! It's a copy, just a copy!"

She was brilliant, even when she was being tortured she was _amazing_. If he hadn't have been so worried about her he would have smiled.

"A copy? Oh a likely story!" He'd never felt so much hatred for one person in that moment.

"But we can find out easily! Draco, fetch the Goblin, he can tell us whether the sword is real or not." Lucius Malfoy. Who'd have thought Malfoy would be the one to cease Hermione's scream even for just a few seconds.

Ron vaguely saw Harry dashing towards Griphook, begging him to tell them the sword was a fake. Ron was just focusing intently on hearing Hermione, making sure they weren't hurting her.

*

"And I think we can dispose of the Mudblood. Greyback, take her if you want her."

The thought of someone else touching Hermione put him into some kind of unstoppable trans.

He burst straight into the drawing room shouting "NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" as he went.

A shocked Bellatrix turned round to see him, but Ron was too angered by the thought of that creep Greyback going anywhere near Hermione that nothing could stop him from saving her. "_Expelliarmus_!" Ron roared.

Chaos broke out, Ron and Harry cursing and pointing wands in every direction.

"STOP OR SHE DIES!"

Ron looked to Hermione then, she lay unconscious in the arms of Bellatrix. He held Wormtail's wand tighter. Bellatrix held a short silver knife to Hermione's throat and it was all he could do not to run over there, drag her out of Bellatrix's arms and never let her go again.

"Drop your wands. Drop them or we'll see exactly how filthy her blood is!" Whispered Bellatrix.

Ron just stood there rigidly, his face looking longingly at Hermione's. He held the wand numbly in his fingers as Bellatrix repeated "I said, drop them!" Small beads of blood appeared from Hermione's neck, and if he could have, he would have sobbed.

"All right!" Harry shouted from his side. Ron reluctantly dropped his wand with Harry, both raising their hands to shoulder height to show surrender.

She leered something to Draco, then Harry. But Ron had his eyes fixed firmly on Hermione.

"Now, Cissy, I think we ought to tie these little heroes up again, while Greyback takes care of Miss Mudblood." Ron gritted his teeth at the name. "I am sure the Dark Lord will not begrudge you the girl, Greyback, after what you have done tonight."

Ron was about to retort with something like 'if you touch one hair on her head...', even though it was a little bit late for that. When a peculiar grinding came from above. The crystal chandelier began to tremble and all he could see was Hermione lying unconscious in Bellatrix's arms beneath it.

Bellatrix dropped Hermione like a ton of hot bricks and dived herself aside with a scream. Ron threw himself towards the chandelier but it had already crashed to the floor next to her, crystals and chains falling over Hermione and Griphook.

Ron didn't seem to feel the glass penetrate his body, the adrenaline ceasing pain from existing, it allowed him to run madly to Hermione, pulling her out of the wreckage. Gently moving glass out of the way so he didn't hurt her anymore then she had already been hurt. With one arm going under her legs and the other around her back, he pulled her up out of the wreckage and held her close against his body.

Harry was wrestling wands from Draco, and before Ron could kill Greyback for what he wanted to do to Hermione, Harry yelled "_Stupefy_!"

Ron held Hermione tighter as more chaos ensued, protecting her from any oncoming spells. Dobby, the house elf reappeared and the shouting and screaming grew louder. Running towards Harry, he caught the wand threw at him.

"Ron, catch – and GO!" Seizing Hermione close to him with one hand, he used to other to Disapparate.

*

He hit solid earth, his back falling to the ground with a smack and Hermione fell on top of him limply. He rolled her off the top of him gently. The adrenaline gone, the cuts and bruises beginning to twinge.

A crowd of people came running towards them. Bill, Fleur, Dean, Luna and Mr. Ollivander. All almost as worried about Hermione as he was.

Ron brushed a lock of stray hair behind her hair.

People began fussing over them, but he vehemently refused to leave her. Following Bill as he picked Hermione up and took her inside.

"I mean Luna and Ollivander mentioned she was being hurt, but I didn't think she'd be this bad." Muttered Bill as he walked.

"Not helping." Said Ron through gritted teeth.

"Ron, 'Arry, where is 'e?" Fleur asked him.

"He's coming, he's coming. We just need to get her inside."

Following Bill upstairs Ron watched Hermione closely. Ron breathed a sigh of relief that she was safe now.

Bill laid her down gently on the bed.

"I shall look after her Ron, go and see ze boys."

Ron shook his head, "I'm not leaving her. Not until I know she's alright."

Bill and Fleur nodded silently.

"Can you get her a flannel or something Fleur?"

Fleur left the room quietly, leaving Bill and Ron alone.

"You okay there little man?"

Ron silently let the tears fall. "I thought I'd lost her. You ought to have heard her Bill, screaming and crying and that bitch just wouldn't leave her alone. No matter how much I shouted and begged them to let it be me!"

Bill pulled Ron into his arms. "Shh, it's alright. She's fine now." Ron sniffled quietly. "Tell you what, I've got some Phoenix tears in a bottle somewhere, we'll heal her up before she wakes up and she'll be fine, alright?"

Ron nodded.

"You okay now?"

"Yeah, thanks Bill."

Bill filed out of the room leaving Ron and Hermione alone. The scar on her neck was scarlet against her pale skin, he gently ran the tip of his finger along the scar, seeing her wince in pain even in a unconscious state.

"It's alright Hermione," He told her softly, "I'm here now."

Fleur chose that moment to tentatively re-enter the bedroom, Bill following closely behind.

"Right Ron, how about you go down and greet the boys. Ollivander tells me they've just arrived. Dobby's in a state though." Bill added tentatively.

Ron groaned. "Not Dobby as well."

Bill looked at him sadly. "I think he'd dead, mate."

Fleur was working silently behind them, dipping the flannel with Phoenix tears and gently pressing it to any cuts and bruises on Hermione.

"Leave the one on her neck, we haven't that much left." Bill told Fleur.

"Dobby's dead? Urgh, poor little thing. I bet Harry's heartbroken." Ron noted absentmindedly.

"Boys, I will need zu undress 'er, would you mind leaving 'er for a few minutes?" Fleur asked.

"No, I best go and see Harry anyway."

*

Dobby's 'funeral' was awful. Even though Ron didn't say much, he was too emotional to do anything but agree with Luna. He walked tiredly towards the bedroom, opened the door and sighed in relief. She looked so much better but still rather drowsy.

He looked towards her with tired eyes, and Hermione gave a small smile.

"Hello Ronald." She said lightly.

He said nothing.

"Ron?"

Nothing.

"I'll be fine."

Still he stayed silent, approaching her slowly.

"Won't I, Ron? Be fine?" He thought he could feel the trembling that wracked her body in the beat of his heart.

Forcing himself to smile, he touched her cheek. Her skin, always hot to his touch, was like fire. "Course you will, they're never gonna touch you again."

"I know I'll be fine, cause I've got the best friends in the world, they always look after me," she replied, and her smile tried its best to break him.

He remained solemnly quiet.

"Ron, thanks for saving me. You shouldn't have though, you should have ran."

"Don't be daft."

"I was so scared." Hermione whimpered. "I just wanted it to be over."

"It is over, I just wish it had been me."

Her eyes began to flutter closed. "That's how I got through it, knowing it was me and not you."

"I wish it was me, I told them, begged them to take me." He hit the dressing room table hard with his fist. "But they just wouldn't listen." He said through gritted teeth.

"I could hear you, shouting my name. It made me feel better, well a _little_ better." Hermione added lightly, trying to get a smile out of Ron.

"Nothing like that will happen again, I'm gonna look after you properly from now on."

"There was nothing you could have done-"

"I'd throw myself in front of You-Know-Who for you."

"I know you would, _idiot_." Her eyes fluttered open slowly. "And I you."

Then she dozed off again.

He ran a hand down his face, feeling the stubble tickle his fingers. He lodged himself in the chair next to Hermione's bed, daring himself to doze lightly.

*

"Ron," she said when she woke, her eyes far away. He wondered if she was really awake. "You're still here."

"Of course I'm still here." He squeezed her hand.

Hermione smiled serenely, her eyes crinkling shut. "I love you."

He almost choked. "What?"

"Don't act so surprised," she mumbled, her voice scratchy. "You knew. You've always known." He didn't know what to say to that.

Ron swallowed around a sudden lump in his throat. "I think you're tired."

She was quiet for a while, and he thought she'd gone back to sleep. "Once I'm well, I'm gonna kiss you."

A slow smile crept over his face against his will. "Are you now?"

"Yes. But not now, cause now I'm all tired." She said slowly.

He smiled. "Of course."

"You'll like it too."

"Hermione Granger, when you're well again you can do whatever you want to me."

Her eyes were closed again. "That a promise?" She mumbled.

"Most definitely."

And after that she didn't say anything else.

*

"Hey there," he said as she blinked her eyes open. "How are you feeling?"

"Ugh." She groaned and smacked her dry lips. "I hurt all over, and it tastes like something died in my mouth."

He handed her a cup of water. "Well, believe it or not, you're much better." He grinned, giddy with relief. "We're going to be gallivanting through Britain in no time. Those Horcruxes won't know what's hit them."

"Yeah."

"Hermione? Dobby, he passed away."

Her eyes blinked open. "What?"

"We buried him, he came to save us. Saved all of us that little house elf did."

She started to struggle to get up.

"Lie down." He said gently. "We'll see him later, _together_."

"I want to see him." Said Hermione determinedly.

"We will, when you're feeling better. Now go to sleep."

"Yes Sir."

Ron grinned. "Shut up and get to bed you."

*

Harry entered the room with a sleepy smile. "She's better."

Ron grinned. "Yeah."

"God, that was awful, listening to her screa-"

"Mate. Just don't, alright?"

"Sorry."

Ron looked at Hermione sadly. "I thought that Greyback was gonna have her and I couldn't stand it. I had to do something, I'm sorry."

"Ron, it all turned out alright in the end, if I loved Hermione as much as you do, I'd have done the exact same thing."

"But Dobby-"

Harry sighed. "He's gone. And it's all my fault. Another person dead in the name of Harry Potter."

"It ain't your fault mate, he wanted to come."

"I think you and Hermione should stay here. Let me question Griphook and Ollivander. You stay here and look after Hermione."

"Mate-"

"Hermione could have _died, _I don't want that on my conscience as well as Dobby."

"We're you're friends. And we're gonna help you. Plus, you'd have my death on your conscience if you leave, Hermione would _kill_ me." Ron said with a chuckle. "We've come this far, no point backing out now. I was a prat when I left, now I realise we all need each other if we're gonna get through this."

"You're right. I'm sorry. But if you ever feel like, you know, then you go, I'm just thankful you've come with me this far."

"Well, it's not gonna happen. Never again." He looked to Hermione. "I'd follow her anywhere, even back into that death pit of spiders Hagrid sent us to in second year."

"Ron," he said softly. "Go get some sleep. She'll be fine now and it's a little bit creepy how you keep watching her sleep." He added with a grin.

"Like you've never watched Ginny sleeping before."

"Actually I haven't."

Ron arched an eyebrow. "Don't tell me you wouldn't have if you could have."

"Well...."

"Git."

Harry left the room quietly, waiting for Ron to follow. Pressing a chastise kiss to Hermione's forehead, he pulled the blanket back up over her.

*

_Later that day..._

"Ron?"

"Yeah?"

"Before, when I was delirious ... did we talk about anything ... I don't know."

He cleared his throat uncomfortably. "Did we talk about anything _what_?"

Hermione was standing still now, like she was looking toward him with fear. "Did we talk about anything inappropriate?"

"What makes you say that?" he said, flinching at his cowardice.

There was a long pause. "I don't know," she finally responded. "Must've been a dream."

"An _inappropriate_ dream?"

"Wouldn't _you_ like to know," she said, a smile in her voice.

But he did know, and it was with great regret that he didn't tell her exactly what she promised him. However he didn't need to remind her of broken promises, because just a few weeks later she threw herself at him for caring about house elves.


End file.
